Birthday Sweets & Treats

So it's sort of a tradition that on my birthday I like to go out and eat as many sweet things as possible! Last year I did it in London, the year before that it was in London again, the year before that in Shropshire! and this time I was celebrating in Vancouver!

So we started unofficially on the 21st by a trip across the border! It was just a short one because we had to get our visa for entering America reissued in time for our epic road trip (which I am eventually going to blog about in 2 more posts time...well done for being patient!) and so apparently we had to have a reason for crossing the border, the border official would not just let us cross to get our visa issue cleared up so we told him we were going for milkshakes at Sonic! He looked rather confused...as in why would you drive to a whole other country just for milkshakes - clearly he's never been to Sonic before! 

Neither had Byron, so this was his excited for Sonic face! 

The last time I went to Sonic I was 17, it was in Georgia and I remember being completely enthralled by the fact you could sit in your car...place your order and someone brought it out to you on roller skates! For me...it was as American as you can get! For some weird reason I didn't get a milkshake all those years ago, I'm thinking I must have got side tracked by root beer. This time around I was spoilt for choice - Sonic has an amazing shake collection!

 but in the end coconut cream pie (of course) won out! and it may have been the most delicious flavour ever!!

There goes our little rollerskating waitress!

 

For me...we could have ended my birthday right there and I would have been happy - I'm easily pleased! but the birthday fun continued all weekend long.

Cassie and Peter had a games night at their place with all our friends and lots of delicious cake! 2 in fact since Cassie and I are nearly birthday twins...with our birthday's just 2 days apart! They came from an amazing patisserie bakery and were super delish..

 

 



The next morning...on my actual bday we opened a few prezzies.

   This was the envelope By decorated for me, it's meant to have all my favourite things on it like toasting s'mores around the campfire, cupcakes, the beach but somehow the rain and Scotland made it on there so I'm thinking they were the ironic additions!

 

 After present opening we headed out to this farmer's market at Trout Lake I'd been excited to check out. Sadly, it wasn't really like a UK farmer's market and literally just had veg...where were all the cakes and meringues and treats?!

 

 

and there was only one food truck, aside from a crepe truck, called pig on the street...

 

Fortunately it sold this really amazing bacon wrap that was pretty special.  It was double smoked bacon, with sausage, bacon, sage and apple stuffing and apple chutney!

 

 so I sort of forgave the market for not having a better selection. It also left me room for all the other treats I'd planned for the day...

Like passion fruit and coconut truffles from Cadeaux Bakery.. and a coconut and raspberry pinwheel jelly sweet from Beta 5 Chocolates

 

and this amazing Oreo layer cake from The Last Crumb Cafe, one of my faves.



We also stopped off at The Baker and The Chef



to check out their cookie situation...

After a spot of baby shopping in Old Navy and picking up these cute onesies..

We dined at Tacofino...finally! I have been wanting to visit this place ever since we moved here!



 Vancouver is spoilt for choice with Mexican restaurants but I had heard the best reviews about here! It is over in East Van and not somewhere we go too often but since our lovely friends from church had lent us their car for the weekend we were able to make the most of going wherever we pleased!

 

So we headed there for an amazing birthday dinner! Definitely some of the best taco's ever...



pork jowl with pineapple salsa - yummy!

 

duck carnitas tostada with apple!

and chicken karaage with avocado! Oh man, I'm wishing we could indulge in some of these again! and when you're meal is accompanied by a Jarritos in a jar you know it's going to be good! 

and oh my, this deconstructed key lime pie was definitely the sweet treat to top all other sweet treats!

I could not have been happier as we sauntered back to our car, feeling incredibly full, and checking out the setting sun over the Van City skyline. 

To top it all off, our friends Jeff and Jessie invited the whole gang over after church on Sunday for an amazing pulled pork feast! 

and too many desserts to top it off, that's just how we roll! 

 It was an amazing birthday weekend, but heartbreaking to think that in just a few weeks our Canadian fun would all be over!